Biography
Who is Hugh Cornwell?
Early life and education
Hugh Cornwell Alan Cornwell was born in London and grew up in the Tufnell Park and Kentish Town areas. During his time at William Ellis School in Highgate, he played bass in a band alongside Richard Thompson, who later joined Fairport Convention.
After finishing school, he attended the University of Bristol and earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry. Following his graduation, he moved to Sweden to conduct post-graduate research at Lund University. While living there, he formed his first band, Johnny Sox.
The Stranglers era
In 1974, Hugh returned to the United Kingdom with his band Johnny Sox. The group eventually added drummer Jet Black and bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel to the lineup. After a period of flux, the band settled on the name The Stranglers.
The group secured a recording contract with United Artists Records by 1977. Hugh served as the lead guitarist and sang the majority of the tracks, though Burnel occasionally handled lead vocals as well. The band became a commercially successful act within the UK punk scene.
Solo music career
Since departing The Stranglers, Hugh has maintained a consistent output as a solo artist. His first solo studio album, Wolf, was released in 1988. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he released numerous projects, including Wired, Guilty, Hi Fi, and the album Footprints in the Desert, which compiled rare tracks from the mid-nineties.
In 2008, he released the album Hooverdam as a free download, accompanied by a film titled Blueprint. Later, in 2012, he released Totem and Taboo, which was engineered by Steve Albini. He also collaborated with poet John Cooper Clarke on the 2016 album This Time It's Personal, featuring classic pop songs.
Acting and other work
Beyond his music career, Hugh has participated in various acting roles. In the early 1980s, he appeared in the play Charlie's Last Stand at the Almeida Theatre in London alongside Bob Hoskins and Stephen Rea. He was also cast in the 1987 Peter Richardson film Eat the Rich.
His screen credits include the BBC production Rumble in 1995 and parts in the BBC Screen Two series. He has also been featured in short films and videos, such as L'étoile de sang directed by Bertrand Fèvre.
Birthday and age
Hugh Cornwell was born on August 28, 1949, which makes Hugh 77 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Hugh shares the date with 60 other famous people.
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